The 24 stories in this anthology—from the Greek, meaning "flower" or "to gather"—form a diverse and unexpected collection, yet one that stays true to its theme of growing things. Here are Colette's sensuous "Grape Harvest," David Guterson's poignant "The Flower Garden," Stephen King's sinister "The Lawnmower Man," J.G. Ballard's lovely and otherworldy "The Garden of Time," the ominous "Green Thoughts" by John Collier, Rosamunde Pilcher's touching and simply titled "The Tree," and the splendid V.S. Pritchett story "The Fig Tree." Here too are classics from Saki, Robert Graves, and Eudora Welty, and contemporary writing from Sandra Cisneros, James Thurber, and Garrison Keillor.